I Knew You Were Trouble
by Thegreenconsultingdragonlord
Summary: As a metamorphmagus, Teddy has a duty to help his fellow students out. Though he never could have imagined breaking up with the Gryffindor Quidditch captain's ridiculous Ravenclaw boyfriend would be this difficult. Next Gen. One-shot. Teddy Lupin/OC.


Based on a great tumblr post by caffeinatedvagitarian that I cannot seem to link to over here.

P.S. I don't usually write OCs in fic so please don't be too hard on me.

Thank you to the amazing alwaysemrys and fortbeaulieu for beta reading this, and poetryincamelot for her encouragement!

This is my first time attempting a Potter fic, so any feedback would be super appreciated! Hope you enjoy :)

* * *

 **I Knew You Were Trouble**

People called Teddy Lupin a lot of different things. 'Freak' was a popular one. 'Awesome' was thrown around quite a few times too. The only thing that he knew for sure was that he wasn't normal. How could the offspring of a werewolf and a metamorphmagus be normal? The undeniable fact of the matter was that trouble was going to follow him around, regardless of whether he caused it or not. He couldn't help that. So he did the only thing he could do - he tried to be careful. He took after his father, star pupil and devious mastermind, loved by Hogwarts professors for his good manners as well as by his peers for his legendary pranks. The only way Remus Lupin had managed to evade the reputation that James Potter and Sirius Black had so unfortunately earned for themselves, was by being careful. And Teddy was his father's son.

It wasn't that Teddy Lupin was a troublemaker. On the contrary, he was _helping_ his fellow students out. So what if his little 'business' involved doing things that were technically 'frowned upon'. His own godfather did things that were 'frowned upon' during his time at Hogwarts, and how had that turned out? With him saving the whole bloody Wizarding World, that's how.

Basically, like his godfather Harry James Potter, Edward Remus "Teddy" Lupin was a goddamn hero.

As a metamorphmagus, he had a chance, nay, a _duty_ to assist his fellow students. When some bloke was too scared to break up with his bird, who else was there to rescue him? When some poor girl couldn't make it to a party because she was sentenced to detention, who took the fall for her so she could have the night of her life? If some first-year who was terrible at charms needed someone to take an exam for him so he wouldn't fail, wouldn't the decent thing be to help him out? Really, Teddy was just following in Harry's footsteps. In his own small way, he was just doing his bit to save his classmates.

Not to mention, it made him a good amount of money. But that was certainly _not_ the reason Teddy was doing it. No, it was definitely because of that hero stuff.

Unfortunately, the professors in Hogwarts didn't quite see it in the same light. He'd almost been caught a dozen times. Professor McGonagall was the only one who really seemed to see through him, and he'd learned that as long as he avoided her, he could get away with whatever shenanigan he was trying to pull off. There had been a couple of close calls though. There was a particular incident where he took the form of a Slytherin boy. He snuck into their common room and put six dung bombs behind a sofa. He was caught coming out of the dungeon by Professor Longbottom, who gave him a vague warning and a suspicious look, but eventually let him go without having figured out Teddy's identity. To be on the safe side, Teddy had since taken to avoiding Professor Longbottom as well. Anyone who'd known his godfather would probably catch on to his tricks. Better safe than in detention.

All of this was utter proof that Teddy was careful. Yes, he got mixed up in troublesome things, but he dealt with them in a careful, rational way. The fact of the matter was that he avoided problems. So naturally, when Gryffindor Quidditch captain and arm-wrestling champion Adelaide Bognart came to him and asked him to break up with her ridiculous Ravenclaw boyfriend so that she could go out with Slytherin hunk Jaime Forrester, Teddy didn't anticipate any trouble. She not only offered him a nice bit of money, but she also promised to buy him a butterbeer at the Hog's Head next time they went to Hogsmeade. It was a solid deal. Plus breakups were appallingly easy. He wouldn't be breaking any school rules, and it was difficult to get caught; usually the person being broken up with was too devastated to realise that their partner was acting strangely and didn't seem to remember 'that time they kissed at the Yule Ball in a flurry of rose petals' or whatever other garbage people tended up bring up in a pathetic attempt to cling onto their dying relationship. Teddy didn't even feel guilty. He'd grown weary of romantic relationships, especially since Victoire had taken his heart and thrown it into the forbidden forest where it was trampled to death by the centaurs. Not that he was bitter.

Adelaide told him that Nises Walker, said ridiculous Ravenclaw - ridiculous, for the reason that he was a muggle-born who had a penchant for showing off muggle 'magic tricks,' which amused a total of absolutely no one who'd grown up around actual magic - was going to be drawing (oh Merlin) in the astronomy tower that night as he always did on full moon nights. Heaven help him. Teddy knew Nises from his potions class. They'd never actually had a conversation, but there was something about his constant perkiness and optimistic nature that irked Teddy. He was just so painfully happy, like everything was made of rainbows and love. It was easy for him. He wasn't like Teddy. He was normal.

Teddy wasn't a fan of the astronomy tower (or full moons for that matter), but he had a job to do. And money to earn. So he transformed into Adelaide and slogged up the million flights of stairs. He was panting when he reached the top, his vision blurring. God he was out of shape. It took him almost five minutes to stop gasping and locate Nises. The boy was lying on his back in one corner of the room. He was lost in the stars above, a telescope and sketchpad unused by his side.

Teddy stalked over to where the boy lay. Nises glanced up, and his face broke out into a brilliant smile, like the clouds had parted and the sunlight was now streaming brightly through.

"Addy!" he exclaimed. He sat up, shoving his messy black hair from his face. He was Indian on his mum's side and Irish on his dad's, which meant he'd been born with an odd but, frankly somewhat attractive, amalgamation of features - smooth brown skin, dark eyes and hair. If he wasn't such a daft idiot, people other than that horrifying actually-broke-someone's-thumb-while-arm-wrestling Adelaide 'Boggart' might even be interested in him.

"Don't get up," Teddy said, mimicking the haughty way Adelaide's voice got when she was cross.

Nises's smile slipped off his face. He froze, his brown eyes growing large. He looked so pathetic, sitting there in his robes that were too large for him under the oppressive blackness of the night sky. Teddy almost felt bad for what he was about to do.

Almost. To be honest, someone needed to give this boy a kick in the backside. Introduce him to the real world. The one that was filled with awful people and heartbreak.

"Look Nises," he sniffed. "I don't think this is working out."

Nises's expression cracked. He looked like a puppy who'd just been kicked.

"I don't want to stretch this out anymore," Teddy continued. "We're done."

Nises bit his lip, then got unsteadily to his feet. He dusted off his robes. "But why?" he asked. He looked positively wounded.

"I'm…," Teddy hesitated. He didn't think he should mention Jaime Forrester, even though the reason would be self-explanatory, given his large biceps and what not. "I'm just not feeling it anymore."

"You're not… feeling it?" Nises asked, blankly. "Feeling what?"

"This," Teddy gestured to the air between them. "I'm not longer invested in this relationship."

Nises gaped at him. He wasn't crying, thank Merlin, but there was something heart-wrenching in his eyes that made Teddy feel the need to turn away. He suddenly wished he hadn't been the one to have wiped that delighted smile of Nises's face.

"Are we done?" Teddy asked, a bit more forcefully than he'd intended.

"You can't just end it like this," Nises pleaded. "I really care about you, Addy. If I've done something… I'm so sorry. I know I'm a bit of a putz sometimes. Well, all the time. It's just who I am. I can't be something I'm not but… Addy, I really, really like you."

Why was he dragging this out? In their potions class Nises was almost stupidly quiet. In fact, the only time Teddy even really heard him talk was when he was complaining about the inconvenient nature of quills, or when someone was foolish enough to ask him about his magic tricks.

Teddy didn't realise that Nises had walked towards him, until he felt a warm hand on his cheek. Teddy jerked, but he didn't move fast enough. Nises leaned in, and lips - warm and smooth - brushed Teddy's own. Something tingled through Teddy's skin. He tripped backwards, and they both ended up in a heap on the ground.

"Oh Merlin," Teddy groused, groaning under Nises's weight, "what do you think you're doing?"

"Sorry," Nises said, shaking his head. He scrambled off Teddy. "I'm so sorry, you just… you looked so beautiful. But you always look beautiful. Oh sod it." He rubbed his head. "Why am I making excuses? I'm an idiot. I don't know how to deal with this. I don't even know why I'm asking why you're breaking up with me." He pulled his legs up to his chest. "I mean look at me," he gestured down to his clothes. "Can't even afford a half-decent school uniform. Can't play Quidditch for the life of me. Honestly, it was a shock you even agreed to go out with me in the first place." He rubbed at the tiny mole on his lip. "I'm not saying this so you'll feel bad I just… I don't know why I'm so upset? I was preparing for this. I mean… I had a feeling this was coming. I saw the way you were looking at me the other day in the Great Hall."

Teddy's heart was hammering. From the fall, surely. Not the kissing. Yes, obviously not the kissing. Nises was yanking at his tie now, looking dejectedly at the ground. The smart thing to do would be to leave, but Teddy felt a pathetic pull towards this boy who looked like his entire heart had been smashed to smithereens on the floor. Admittedly, Teddy knew what that felt like.

"You'll find someone else. There are plenty of owls in the owlery or whatever," Teddy mumbled. He realised instantly that that was not a very Adelaide thing to say.

"That's not a saying," Nises said. He glanced up, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Well it should be," Teddy said. "There are no fish in the sea anymore cause the muggles threw oil in it and bungled that whole thing up."

"Don't make me laugh when you're breaking up with me," Nises said. "It's not decent." He ran a hand through his hair. "No one else is ever going to want me, Addy," he said, softly.

For once, Teddy felt lost for words. They remained in a suffocating silence, until Nises got to his feet, his eyes purposely trained away from Teddy.

"I appreciate you breaking up with me though. I mean, I appreciate you not… you know…cheating on me. I know you don't like to deal with sad people, and breaking up with me would have been… I was scared. So yes. Thank you for not cheating. That's… that was quite nice of you."

Was he for real? His heart was being ripped up and he still acting like a bloody angel? Teddy stared at him. Nises gave him a half wave. Teddy's eyes followed him as he walked out of the tower and disappeared without another word into the recesses of the castle.

* * *

Teddy didn't see Nises again until a few weeks later, but it felt like longer because for some ridiculous reason he hadn't been able to quite stop picturing that look on his face. Not the 'why are you breaking up with me I'm so sad look how bleeding pathetic I am' look, but the one he wore when he first spotted 'Addy' at the tower. The way his eyes lit up, the way his whole face had brightened. The look that proved that even though he'd been looking at the stars, the thing he'd most wanted to see had walked right up to him and overshadowed everything else. Admittedly it made Teddy feel like utter crap, but he kept thinking about it anyway.

When he finally did see Nises again, the boy was sitting alone under a tree by the Great Lake, reading a book. Teddy didn't know why he stopped in his tracks, or why he told his friends he'd catch up with them later. Adelaide had paid him his money, bought him _two_ butterbeers, and had long since taken to snogging Jaime Forrester in broom closets that Teddy was unfortunate enough to have opened not once, but _three_ times. Incredible. Teddy knew that if he really was careful he'd wash his hands of the whole affair. But he found himself walking towards Nises until he was towering above him. Nises looked up, squinting in the foggy sunlight.

"Oh, hello… Edward, is it?"

"I prefer Teddy."

"Teddy, then. Can I help you?"

"Just having a walk," Teddy said. "But I got tired. Mind if I sit?" He didn't wait for an answer before planting himself down beside Nises. Nises gave him a confused look, and then turned back to his book. Then he looked up again.

"You're in my potions class," he said.

"Yep," Teddy said. He picked at the grass. For some reason he couldn't really bring himself to look at Nises's lips.

"You're the guy who does… things for people."

Teddy glanced up and met his gaze. "What do you mean?" he asked, breezily.

"You're a metamorphmagus, right?"

"Yes?"

Nises's face burst into a grin. "That is so incredible!" he gushed. "I would sell all my toes to be able to do that."

"I don't think anyone wants any of your toes," Teddy remarked.

Nises didn't look the least bit offended. He truly was a marvel. There he was, in ill-fitting robes, skinny and strange looking. A boy whose girlfriend had broken up with him for another guy. And he was _still_ so goddamn cheerful. Teddy didn't know whether what he was feeling was annoyance or admiration.

"It's such a neat trick," Nises continued.

"It's not a trick," Teddy huffed.

"Ability, right," he shook his head, sending his hair into his eyes. He pawed it away. "I keep forgetting. 'Trick' is the word we use… well, see I did magic back when I was young… like muggle magic?"

Teddy rolled his eyes. "I've heard."

"Don't roll your eyes. Muggle magic is actually quite interesting."

"I'm sure," Teddy said.

"It's all about hand-eye coordination. Really neat stuff."

Teddy gave him a skeptical look.

"I'll show you," Nises insisted. He started rummaging in a satchel that was yawning open beside him.

Teddy let out a loud groan, but when Nises showed no signs of giving up, he folded his arms behind his head and leaned against the rough bark of the tree. Nises turned back towards Teddy, holding two balls made of some sort of sponge material.

"Here," he said, offering one of them to Teddy. Teddy gave it a disdainful look. "Come on," Nises pressed, "just hold on to it."

Teddy offered his palm. Nises pressed the ball into it. "Now squeeze it tightly, alright?"

Teddy did as he was told, making his hand into a fist. Nises did the same with the other ball. "Alright, watch," he told Teddy. He tapped his hand, and when he opened his fist, the ball was gone.

Teddy quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing. There was a dozen things Nises could have done. He could have said a spell in his head, even though wordless magic was still a bit advanced for them. He could have slipped it into his sleeve.

Nises leaned forward and tapped Teddy's fist.

"Open it," he instructed.

When Teddy opened his hand, four balls fell out of it. Despite every cell in his body screaming at him not to, he gaped at the balls that were now nestled in the grass. "How did you…?"

Nises was grinning, eyes shining brightly. Teddy had never realised brown eyes could be so colourful.

"So stupid," Teddy spluttered, catching himself.

"You thought it was cool," Nises said. "Admit it."

"Did not," Teddy retorted.

"You did."

"Not."

"You're such a child."

Teddy transformed into Nises. "You're such a child, Teddy," he admonished the air in front of them. "Look at me, being an adult, playing with my balls."

Nises laughed, a sound that seemed to wash over Teddy's skin like warm seawater. "Oi. Pervert," he said, shoving Teddy.

Teddy shoved him back, transforming into himself again. Nises shoved him again and before he knew it they were wrestling in the grass, both of them laughing. They ended up on top of each other. How did they always get here? Teddy wondered. But there they were, once again in a heap, except this time Teddy was looking down at Nises and that mole on his lip. It was only when a gaggle of girls broke the silence surrounding them, that he realised how dark it had gotten. He jumped off Nises quickly, tugging at his robes. He could feel his face getting hot.

"We should get to dinner," he said, swallowing hard.

"Yeah," Nises agreed.

They walked to the Great Hall together, but neither of them said another word.

* * *

After that, it was like Teddy saw Nises everywhere. He was at the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch game, laughing with his friends, showing off dimples and that dizzying smile of his. He caught Teddy's eye in the library, making Teddy drop his gaze and stare at his book so furiously, Elena thought he was ill. Teddy kept seeing him in the Great Hall at meals, and wandering around Hogsmeade looking into shop windows with a faraway look in his eyes. Then there was potions class. Oh Merlin. Since they'd gotten to know each other, they usually just smiled in greeting and made small talk. But one lesson Nises asked him to pass the Squill bulb and their hands brushed, and suddenly Teddy could not have been more interested in the lint on his robes. Nises - who was concentrating far too hard on whatever concoction he and his partner were trying to make - didn't talk to him again for the rest of the class.

However, the next full moon night was especially brutal. While Teddy was in the Hufflepuff common room sucking on Fizzing Whizzbees and doing his Defence Against the Dark Arts essay, he couldn't help but think of Nises in the astronomy tower with his telescope, gazing out at the stars, drawing his scraggly drawings of constellations. It may have been the sugar, or just the fact that Teddy couldn't bear the uncertainly anymore, but he was seized by an overwhelming desire to go up there.

A careful person would ignore the thoughts. What good would sneaking out and risking detention do? But before he knew what he was doing, he was slipping out of the common room, sneaking down the corridors towards the tower. He didn't know how Nises always managed to evade Filch on nights like this, but Teddy was finding it incredibly difficult to walk quietly. He heard a noise and transformed himself into Professor McGonagall. Filch rounded the corridor and froze.

"Professor McGonagall," he said. "You're out late."

"Yes I am, Argus," Teddy said, his voice prim. "You're quite observant."

Filch scowled, but shuffled to the side to let Teddy pass. Teddy was trying so hard to suppress his giggles that he didn't look where he was going. He turned a corner and crashed straight into Nises. They both fell against the wall.

Teddy groaned in pain. "How do we always end up like this?" he asked.

Nises gave him an alarmed look, his mouth hanging open. Teddy was starting to worry he'd said something wrong, until he looked down and realised he was still in McGonagall's form. He quickly transformed into himself. Nises's face burst into a dazzling smile. Teddy felt lightheaded.

"Teddy!" he exclaimed.

"You're not drawing?" Teddy asked.

The smile melted off Nises's face. Teddy remembered with a jolt that he wasn't supposed to know that.

"Who told you I was drawing?" Nises asked, frowning.

Teddy rubbed his face, racking his brain for a lie that seemed plausible, but his brain remained devastatingly empty. Nises's frown deepened.

"Adelaide told me," Teddy said, weakly.

"Addy?" Nises asked. Hearing Nises say the familiar nickname for his ex brought a sour taste to Teddy's tongue. "I didn't know you two were friends."

"We're not," Teddy said.

"Then why did she…?" Nises's eyes got wide. His hand flew to his mouth. "Oh my god, it's _you."_

Teddy felt completely lost, until it hit him like the whomping willow whacking him in the gut. "No _no."_

Nises's face was taking on that hurt expression now - the wounded puppy, the kicked kitten. The boy with a broken heart.

"That's why you came up and started talking to me that day, wasn't it?" he asked. "Cause you felt sorry for me. Cause the whole time you were snogging my girlfriend!"

"She's not your girlfriend," Teddy said, without thinking.

Nises's face crumpled like a sheet of paper. "And here I was..." He bit his lip, his dark eyes burning into Teddy's. Instead of finishing his thought, he turned away and started storming towards the Ravenclaw common room.

"Nises, it isn't like that," Teddy hissed. He grabbed at his arm. Nises spun around furiously.

"Let go of me," he snapped, "or I'm going to Stupefy you."

"No you're not," Teddy said.

Nises whipped out his wand, and Teddy's heart jumped. He couldn't have been serious? Would he really stupefy him? Nises was looking at him, a challenging expression on his face. "Then tell me the truth."

"Your stupid magic tricks are really cute," Teddy blurted.

The anger evaporated off Nises's face, leaving behind bewilderment. "What?" he asked. Teddy could see anger and confusion warring in his eyes. Before either of them could say anything else, they heard footsteps down the corridor.

"Filch," Nises hissed.

Teddy tightened his grip on Nises's arm, and the two of them took off running towards the astronomy tower. They could hear Filch complaining loudly to himself about McGonagall - who apparently seemed to be everywhere at once - and then took a left so that his voice disappeared into echoes. The two of them ran until they couldn't breathe, stumbling and stifling their laughter all the way up the stairs. When they got to the top they collapsed on the ground, wheezing.

"You should have turned back into McGonagall," Nises said in between gasps. "It would have confused him even more."

Teddy giggled. "And how was I going to explain why you and McGonagall were traipsing the corridors at the arse crack of dawn?"

"Because of our illicit affair, obviously," Nises replied.

They both snickered again. Nises was looking at him now, dark eyes tracing his features like he was looking at a stranger. Which he probably was. Sometimes even Teddy wondered what he really looked like.

"So, you're not the one Addy left me for?"

"Pretty sure she's been getting it off with Jaime Forrester."

"Yeah?"

"Caught them snogging in a broom closet a couple of hundred times."

Nises hung his head, wand dangling uselessly from his fingers. "Makes sense. He looks like he just walked off the cover of a magazine."

Teddy chewed on his bottom lip. He could no longer understand why Nises's optimism used to grate on him. Hearing what Nises really thought of himself was so much worse. Teddy had the sudden urge to shake him by the shoulders and shout, _but you're goddamn perfect._

"Well it's her loss, honestly," Teddy said.

Nises snorted. "Yeah right." He looked up. "You think anyone else would ever go for this mess?" he gestured down at himself.

Teddy shrugged, his cheeks getting warm again. "You'll never know," he said. "There are plenty of owls in the owlery."

Nises's eyes widened. Teddy could see it click in place. Nises's expression went from upset to delightfully, adorably, utterly embarrassed. Before Teddy could lose his nerve, he swallowed hard and leaned in.

Just the touch of their lips was electrifying, but it was nothing compared to when Nises kissed him back. Despite the late hour, the darkness that blanketed them, and the cold empty astronomy tower, Teddy couldn't remember having felt more awake.

"Well this is new," Nises mumbled against his lips. "Is it normal for wizards to start relationships with a breakup?"

Teddy grinned wickedly as he tugged on Nises's tie. "Never said I was normal."

 **THE END**


End file.
